Renewed Spirits
by Zanza Flux
Summary: Henry didn't realize how much he needed his spirits lifted until a certain toon came to live with him.


**.**

 **Renewed Spirits**

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Henry doesn't consider himself a grump when it comes to the holidays. He enjoys Christmas as much as the next person. It's just that, he really had no reason to decorate his home like other people. He lived alone for years. There was no point in doing it if no one else was there to see it. He either spent the holidays with his sister and her family or spent the evening at his favorite diner for Christmas dinner.

He was more than fine with this set up. Henry's neighbors and coworkers had enough Christmas Spirit to compensate for what he lacked. They even put up a tree at his place of work, complete with lights and ornaments. When he drove home after work, he would pass by house after house covered in bright, colorful lights. Even if Henry had a rough day at work, the decorated houses and soft holiday music had him smiling by the time he got home.

At the end of the day, Henry was more than happy to let Christmas, and any other major holiday, come and go without too much fanfare. All of that was turned on its head when a major change happened in his life. This change was named Bendy. The little toon's zest for life outside of the studio was infectious. Henry found himself showing the toon new things just to see the joy and wonder on his face. He was surprised by how happy it all made him feel.

So as the end of the year was fast approaching, Henry realized he would have to do something for the holidays. Unfortunately, it had been so long since he broke out his Christmas lights, they no longer worked. He didn't even have a tree to put up. He groaned and ran his fingers roughly through his hair. Looks like he'll have to do a little shopping. That wasn't so bad though. He was sure he could make the trip fun for the little toon.

Things got interesting when he got a call from his sister. June wanted to know if the girls could stay with him for the weekend. It seems Jason had one more job before Christmas, he would be heading in Henry's direction, and the girls wanted to tag along for at least part of the trip.

Henry was more than happy to have his nieces for the weekend. He knew Bendy would be overjoyed to see them again, plus this gave him a few ideas on how he could make things special for the toon and the girls.

"Hey June-bug, do me a favor ad make sure the girls bring some art supplies with them. It's just so they don't get bored while they're here." That was the excuse he gave his sister, but he had other plans for Beth and Sarah. This was going to be fun.

It was Saturday morning when Jason showed up at his door with Beth and Sarah. The girls nearly bowled him over as they rushed to give him a hug. As soon as they saw Bendy, they ran passed the adults to give him a hug too. Both men had a bemused look on their faces as the little group began to talk a mile a minute in their excitement. The girls didn't even take off their coats.

Jason chuckled as he carried the girls' suitcase into the house. "They couldn't wait to get here."

Henry smiled at that. "Heh, I can tell. Hey girls, why dontcha take off your coats. Bendy's not going anywhere." The girls shrugged off their coats and Bendy helped put them in the closet.

Jason looked around the house and noticed it was surprisingly bare of Christmas decorations. He was about to say something but Sarah beat him to the punch.

"Um, Uncle Henry?" his niece looked confused. He almost chuckled but managed to hold it in. "Where is the Christmas tree?"

"Umm, well, y'see-" he scratched the back of his head and looked a little embarrassed. "I don't have one." You would have thought he said the sky was red for the reaction he got from Sarah. At this point, Beth was standing next to her looking just as perplexed. It was then she noticed the lack of Christmas anything in the house. Both girls looked around the room, then to each other, and then to Bendy who just shrugged his shoulders. They looked at their uncle and uttered one word at the same time, "Why?"

Henry ignored his brother-in-law's snickering as he tried to explain that he was too busy working to get a tree or decorations. Both girls eyes lit up and they told him they could make some for him. They grabbed Bendy by his hands and sat on the living room floor. They pulled out paper, yarn, glue, and other odds and ends out of their back packs.

"Oh boy." Jason placed his hand on Henry's shoulder. "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into." They both watched as the girls tried to teach the little toon how to make paper snowflakes. Henry just smiled and told Jason that everything will be fine.

Jason hugged his girls, told them to be good for their uncle, and that he would be back on Monday.

Henry wished Jason a safe trip then took the girls' suitcase up to the guest room. When he came back downstairs, he sat in the living room with the little group. Sarah handed him some construction paper and children scissors that were a tad too small for his large fingers. She was eager to show him how to make snowflakes too. Within two hours they had a stack of paper snowflakes in every shape, size, and color sitting on the coffee table. Some were even covered in glitter, as well as his floor, and the kids' hands.

Henry asked Bendy to take the girls upstairs so they could wash their hands while he fixed lunch. Soon they were all sitting at the kitchen table, happily munching on ham and cheese sandwiches and potato chips. Henry waited for them to be halfway done before clearing his throat.

"Hey guys?" Everyone at the table looked up at him. "Since you all are working so hard to make those pretty ornaments for me, I guess I have no choice-" he sighed dramatically. "We'll have to go out tomorrow and get a tree." After a few seconds, the table erupted in cheers. The joy he felt from Bendy made him smile.

The rest of the evening was spent eating slices of pepperoni pizza he ordered, watching various holiday specials on television, and making pompoms out of different colored yarn and rings of cardboard. It was the first time Bendy got to watch Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. He was entranced by the animation style and the songs. Who knew you could animate clay! The toon felt sorry for the way the reindeer was treated, but something about the Island of Misfit Toys really spoke to him. A bunch of toys that were created with flaws. Nobody wanted them so they were rescued, and brought to an island where they waited for Santa to give them a new home. A home with a child that would love them. That was sad and hit a little too close to home. The toon was so happy at the end. The toys found homes with children who loved them, flaws and all. It was quite an enjoyable evening.

After Henry sent the kids to bed, he spends a little time cleaning the glitter off the living room floor. He couldn't believe how hard it was to get the stuff up. When he's done, he plopped down on the couch, and picks up a few of the snowflakes from the pile. He remembered doing stuff like this with his sister when they were very young. He forgot how much fun it was. Henry really missed doing simple stuff like this as an adult. He chuckled at how things might go tomorrow. He was actually looking forward to it.

 **-Sunday Morning-**

Henry was up bright and early. He was fixing pancakes and bacon for everyone. One by one, the kids wandered down to the kitchen. They were still waking up, rubbing sleep from their eyes, but the smell of food perked them right up.

Breakfast was just as lively as ever. The kids couldn't stop talking about the kind of tree they would get and how fun it'll be to decorate it. Bendy was really excited. He had never been to a tree farm before. He wanted to pick the biggest tree they had there. Henry had to remind him that they needed a tree that could actually fit through the front door. This comment caused the girls to giggle and the toon to blush slightly in embarrassment. When breakfast was done, the girls rushed upstairs to get cleaned up and dressed.

Henry washed a few dishes while Bendy sat on the couch. Almost an hour later Beth and Sarah came downstairs dressed in warm sweaters and jeans. Beth was carrying a large box in her arms. She walked up to Bendy and handed it to him. "Here, cousin Bendy. Mamma got this for you."

The little toon looked down at the large box sitting on his lap. He wasn't expecting to get a gift. He opened the lid and stared down at the contents. He reached in and pulled out a long, black and white striped scarf. He pressed it to his cheek and found it to be really thick and soft.

Next, he pulled out a white wool cap. It had black stars that went around the rim and a black pompom on top. It was big enough to cover his horns with no trouble at all.

Last, he pulled out a pair of soft, white mittens. He turned them around in his hands and noticed they were as soft as the scarf. He loved everything but he had one little question:

"Why mittens?"

The girls looked at one another before looking back at him. It was Sarah that answered his question. "Umm, they don't make four fingered gloves." She pointed to his hands and said it in such a matter-of-fact manner, that it made the toon chuckle. Of course they don't make gloves like that. It warmed his heart to know that aunt June was thinking of him.

Henry went to the closet and grabbed everyone's coats. While the girls put theirs on, Bendy made sure to put on the things June sent him. Henry watched as the toon wrapped the scarf around his nonexistent neck and all the way up to his chin. He pulled off his while gloves and put them in a pocket Henry didn't know he had. He slipped on the mittens and wiggled his fingers in them. Last was the knit hat. It covered both horns and covered his brow. Once he put on his winter coat, he was so well covered, all Henry could see was his pie cut eyes and the very edges of his widening smile. The little toon was too happy for words.

Henry made sure everyone had bundled up before they all walked out the door. It hadn't snowed yet, but it was very cold outside. They piled into his car and he let it run for a bit to let the car warm up. He put on the heater and the radio so they could listen to the various Christmas songs the station played 24/7. After he made sure the car was ready to go, they were off.

Henry drove for half an hour until he reached the local tree farm. He parked his car in the lot and the kids hopped out. They were so excited, they almost ran off without him. Henry found himself smiling and humming along to the soft music that played as they walked throughout the farm.

The girls and Bendy were in awe of all the different sized trees. They would dart off here and there, pointing out what they thought would make the perfect tree to take home. Henry would chuckle and shake his head. Either the trees were too tall or too wide. They walked around for a good hour before they found it! The tree was maybe a little over a foot taller than Henry and just wide enough that it wouldn't get stuck in the doorway when tied up. It was a nice full tree with hardly any bare spots in it. Everyone in the group agreed, THIS was the perfect tree.

An assistant cut it down, wrapped it up in strong twine, and tied it to the roof of Henry's car. The owner gave them a stand and instructions on taking care of the tree. Henry paid the owner and thanked him for his help. The kids couldn't wait to get it home but he told them they needed to make one more stop.

Driving back to town, Henry pulled into a store that sold tons of Christmas decorations and ornaments. The kids eyes were practically shining as they stepped through the door. By the time Henry grabbed a cart, Bendy and the girls were off picking up as many shiny, colorful baubles they could find to put on the tree. Henry almost regretted letting them loose in the store, but seeing the happiness on their faces and feeling the absolute joy from the toon made it all worth while.

The cart was soon filled with lights, boxes or ornaments, wreaths of different sizes and materials, and garlands. There were a few things that Henry had to sneak out of the cart when the kids weren't looking but he still managed to walk out with at least five bags full of stuff. He was surprised he managed to fit it all in his trunk.

Twenty minutes later, Henry pulled into his driveway. The group walked through the front door with everyone's arms full of bags. Henry made sure everything was put away and the kids took off their coats and stuff before going back out to the car to get the tree. He untied the strings and pulled the tree off the roof. It was a little heavier than he thought, but he managed to heave it up the stairs. He hit a slight snag when he tried to push the tree through the doorway. The sides of the tree kept getting caught even though the tree was still tied up. After a few unsuccessful shoves, Henry knew he needed help.

"Hey bud, can you give me a hand with this?" Henry called into the house. A few seconds later, a large inky hand reached out and grabbed the tree by its thick trunk. Bendy and Henry were extra careful as they wiggled and pulled/pushed the tree the rest of the way into the house.

Bendy took a few steps back and stood the tree upright in his large hands. Both the top of the tree and Bendy's horns were almost touching the ceiling. Henry told the toon to hold the tree while he got the stand set up. He instructed the toon to lift the tree then lower it onto the stand. Henry made sure the screws were tight and the tree wouldn't fall over when Bendy let go.

Henry fished out some scissors from a nearby drawer and cut the strings that was holding the tree together. The branches unfolded with a 'woosh' and the tree turned out to be a lot thicker than they thought. Still, it was beautiful. The girls cheered and Bendy scooped them up in his large hands to give them both a hug. Henry reached up and patted the ink demon on his shoulder.

"Thanks bud. Now, let's get something to eat before we get to work." No one could argued with that logic. They were all pretty hungry.

Twenty minutes and a few slices of leftover pizza later, the girls and Bendy were taping paper snowflakes to the windows and the walls around the Christmas tree. Henry wrapped a two strings of lights around the tree. One white and one multicolored. He also wrapped a silver and red tinsel garland around it as well. By the time he was done, the kids were digging through the bags to pull out the boxes of ornaments.

He stood back and watched as one by one, ornaments of all shapes and sizes were hung on the branches. Some looked like snowmen or Santa Clause while others were stars or glittery balls of red, green, and silver plastic. He stepped in when they needed help with the higher branches.

Throughout it all, the living room was filled with warmth and laughter. Henry hadn't realized how much he missed all of this, until now. Sarah handed him a large gold star. He stood on the tips of his toes and placed it on top of the tree. It was complete and all they needed to do was turn on the lights. Henry plugged the ends of the lights into the socket and the tree flared to life.

They all stood back and admired their work. The white lights glowed softly and the colored lights twinkled. The light played off the silver in the garland and the shiniest of ornaments. It took everyone's breath away.

"Wow, it's so pretty." Henry looked down at Bendy. The toon's eyes were sparkling. The girls couldn't agree more. The look of wonderment on their faces made this all worth while for Henry.

After the tree was done everyone grabbed their coats, scarves, and hats. Once they got all suited up, they grabbed the wreaths, garlands, and lights and headed back out the door.

Henry hung a wreath made of branches and pine cones on the front door while the kids wrapped a long green garland with red flowers on the banister. Henry watched as the little group tried to wrap lights around a small bush in front of the house when someone called his name.

"Henry! Henry Ross!" He looked over to see his next door neighbor, Mrs. Smith waving at him. He smiled and walked over to greet her.

When Henry moved to this neighborhood years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Smith were the first to welcome with open arms. They were a friendly, elderly couple that didn't have children of their own so Henry often joked that he was their adopted son. They looked out for him and always made sure he was alright. In turn he would check up on them or do a few odd jobs that Mr. Smith could no longer do. A few years ago, Mr. Smith passed away and Mrs. Smith had been living alone ever since. Henry checked up on her to make sure she was alright.

"Well well well, look at that. You're decorating this year!" She squinted her eyes through her red rimmed glasses at what the kids were doing in the yard. "It's been a long time since you've done that." Henry chuckled and pointed out his nieces and Bendy. He told her he had to do something special for them.

"Aww, that's nice dear. Oh, I have something for you!" Henry watched as she shuffled back into the house. A few minutes later she came back to the door with two round tins in her hands. She handed him a blue tin and told him it was full of freshly baked gingerbread men she thought the kids might like. Then she handed him a red tin.

"Now, these are special cookies for you." She gave him a playful wink. "Make sure the kids don't get ahold of 'em." Henry cracked the tin open and got a strong whiff of it. Rum cookies. This was her specialty. She put enough rum in these things to knock an elephant on its ass. They were pretty good though. He thanked her, gave her a hug, and wished her a Merry Christmas.

Henry placed the cookies into the house then helped wrap the lights around the bush, framed the windows and brought the end of the cord into the window. He'd have to fish out an extension cord to plug those in.

Henry herded the little group back into the house to get warmed up. They would have to wait till dark to see how the lights looked outside.

Henry made a big pot of chicken stew for dinner. There were hums of appreciation as they chowed down on the hearty meal. After dinner they played a few games while they waited for it to get dark outside.

Every other house on the block was lit up one way or another. It gave the neighborhood a kind of warmth and charm that made you not feel how cold it was outside. And now, Henry could add his home to that as well. Bendy and the girls huddled around him as they watched the lights twinkle and their breath danced in the air.

Henry felt a warmth wrap around his heart. Even though Bendy wasn't looking directly at him, he knew the feeling was coming from the little toon. The amount of gratitude that came from Bendy filled an empty space in Henry he ignored for many years. Henry 's thought were interrupted when something cold touched his cheek. When he looked up, he noticed white fluffy flakes floating down from the sky.

"It's snowing! It's snowing!" Beth ran around with her hands out as she tried to catch the snowflakes. Sarah and Bendy tried to catch a few on the tip of their tongues. Henry couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. The wind started to pick up and whipped the snow around them. This was as good a time as any to go inside.

Bendy and the girls sat near the window and watched the snow fall. The street lights and snowflakes gave everything outside a soft, hazy glow. It reminded Henry of a Christmas card. With soft music playing from his radio, the night was rather peaceful.

It was getting close to bedtime but the girls swore they aren't tired yet. Instead, Sarah approached Henry with a book in her hands.

"Uncle Henry? Can you read this to us?" Henry looked at the cover and smiled.

"I'll read this to you on one condition: You and Beth head upstairs and get into your PJs. When they story is over, you're heading to bed." Sarah giggled and agreed. She grabbed Beth's hand and they ran up the stairs. Henry asked Bendy to get the large blanket out of the linen closet while he made a few cups of hot chocolate.

A few minutes later the girls came back downstairs. Bendy called them over to the couch. The toon sat in the middle with Beth and Sarah on either side of him. The girls giggled as he threw a large quilt over all three of them. They huddled up close together under the blanket and waited for Henry to come out of the kitchen.

Their uncle appeared a few minutes with a tray in his hands. He placed the tray on the coffee table and the kids could see four large mugs filled with hot chocolate and an open tin with gingerbread men in it. There were plenty of marshmallows floating in the coco too.

Henry handed Bendy and the girls a mug and placed the tin on Bendy's lap. "Be careful guys. The coco's still a little hot." Henry picked up his own mug and the book Sarah gave him. He sat down in his favorite chair and got comfortable. He took a few minutes to let them all sip on their hot chocolate. When Henry drained half of his hot chocolate, he put the mug down on the end table, and picked up the book.

Henry cleared his throat and all eyes were on him. He leaned back into his chair and opened the book.

 _"T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…"_ Sarah sighed and leaned against Bendy. She whispered that this was one of her favorite stories. Beth giggled and took another sip of her coco. "Mines too."

By the end of the story, the hot chocolate started to kick in. Both Beth and Sarah were staring at Henry with half lidded gazes. They even yawned a couple of times during the story. Bendy on the other hand was wide awake. Probably because it was his first time hearing the story. Henry didn't know how the toon's smile got even wider then it already was.

Henry closed the book, sat it on the coffee table, and told the girls it was time for bed. Bendy took the blanket and folded it as the girls slid off the couch and shuffled their way up the stairs. Henry followed them to the guest room where he turned down the blanket and sheets so they could climb into bed. He tucked them in, kissed each girl on the forehead, and wished them a Goodnight. Beth and Sarah drifted off to sleep before he left the room.

Henry stepped out into the hallway and headed for Bendy's room. The little toon was already curled up in his bed. He thought the toon was already asleep until he heard, "Henry?"

He walked into the room and sat down on the toon's bed. Bendy sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"Hey bud, something wrong?" The little toon shook his head and gave Henry a sleepy smile.

"I just… wanted to thank you." The toon rested his head against Henry's chest and wrapped his arms around him. Henry chuckled and returned the hug.

"If you had told me a year ago that I would be free of the studio and living with you, I would have called you crazy!" The toon leaned back a little. "Not only that, but I gained friends and a wonderful family too!" He let go of the man and laid his gloved hands in his lap. He smiled sadly. "I wish I could do something for you."

Henry was shocked. "Aww bud, you've done a lot for me." The toon looked up at him a little confused. Henry closed his eyes and leaned in close until their forehead's touch. "Just watching you experience new things, the joy and excitement you bring to everything you do, makes me very happy. Plus you have a good heart bud." He looked into the toon's eyes. "I know things haven't been easy for you," Henry sat back and gives the toon a warm smile. "but you never give up. I admire that."

Henry could see the corners of the toon's eyes glistening in the dim light. Bendy gave him a watery smile before wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Heh, thanks Henry."

"You're welcome bud. Now get some sleep." Bendy yawned loudly before curling up under his warm blanket.

Henry walked out of the room quietly. He stood in the hallway for a few moments before heading to his own room. Bendy and his nieces made this a holiday he'll never forget. He felt very lucky to have them all in his life.

 **-Monday Morning-**

The small snowstorm they had the night before left a few inches of the powdery white stuff covering everything outside. The sun made the snow sparkle like tiny crystals reflecting the light. It was beautiful.

Henry was up early that morning. He decided to do a little shoveling while the kids were still asleep. He was just finishing up when a red big rig pulled up in front of his house. A familiar figure jumped out and walked up to him.

"Hey Jay!" He shook his brother-in-law's hand. "Wasn't expecting you here this early."

"Yeah. I had dropped off my cargo and headed back this way as fast as I could." He ran his fingers through his long red hair. "The storm up north was getting worse and I didn't want to get stuck out there."

"Oh yeah, I hear ya." Henry pointed towards the house. "The kids are still asleep. How 'bout we get breakfast going? You can rest up a bit before you have to pull out."

"Sounds like a good plan ta me! I'm in!" Jason followed Henry into the house and was surprised by what he saw. "Wow, looks like Christmas exploded in here!"

"Hahaha well, you can thank Bendy and the girls for that." He pointed to the large tree near the corner of the living room. "We had a lot of fun thought." Jason was glad the girls helped out. They loved doing stuff like this at home. Plus Henry needed help getting into the Christmas spirit.

The men spent a few minutes catching up before heading into the kitchen. The smell of scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage soon filled the air. Bendy wandered downstairs with Beth and Sarah in tow. As soon as the toon and girls saw Jason, they ran over and gave him a hug. Henry chuckled as Jason almost lost his balance from getting tackled.

The men fixed plates for the group and they all sat down to eat. The girls told their dad how they spent the whole day decorating their uncle's house. Bendy told him how they made paper snowflakes, ate pizza, and watched Rudolf, The Red Nosed Reindeer. Jason chuckled and had to tell the kids to slow down because they were talking so fast.

After breakfast, the girls and Bendy went upstairs while Henry and Jason relaxed in the living room. Jason didn't mind. He needed a little rest after all the driving he'd done.

"Hey Henry."

"Hmm?"

"We're taking the girls to my parents' for Christmas. You and Bendy are more than welcome to join us." Jason chuckled softly. "I know my mom would love the little guy." He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned slightly. "My dad, well, I can't speak for him."

"Heh, thanks Jay. I kinda have plans on that day, but maybe we can do it next year?" Jason looked surprised for just a moment, but smiled warmly and said, "No problem!"

Almost two hours went by when the girls came downstairs. Bendy helped them carry the suitcase too. All three ran up to Henry with a large, folded up piece of construction paper in Beth's hand. She held it open for him to see.

It was a drawing of what he assumed to be Bendy, Beth, and Sarah standing in front of a large Christmas tree. There were stars and snowflakes colored in crayon all around them and the words "Merry Christmas" written in glitter at the top of the page. It was creative chaos and Henry loved it.

He took the card and places it on the end table. He opened his arms and pulled all three in for a big hug. "Thank you guys! I love it."

Jason gathered their coats and told the girls that they needed to hit the road. He grabbed their suitcases and took it out to his rig while the girls got bundled up. They gave Bendy one more hug before stepping out the door. Jason helped them into the rig and they were on there way.

"So Henry, what ARE we doing for Christmas?" The toon looked up at him curiously.

Henry smiled. "I thought we might spend the day with a friend."

 **-Christmas Day-**

 ***knock knock***

"…"

 ***knock knock***

"Huh, I wasn't expecting anyone today." The elderly woman shuffled towards her front door.

 ***knock knock knock***

"Hold yer horses, I'm comin'!" she undid her locks and pulled open the door. She was surprised to see who was standing there.

"Merry Christmas Mrs. Smith!" Bendy stood at her door with Henry close behind.

"Well, Merry Christmas to you both!" Her tone was as cheerful as ever. Henry stepped a little closer and gave her a hug.

"Would you mind if Bendy and I spent the day with you?"

The woman leaned back in surprise. "Wait-what?"

Henry scratched the back of his head and gave her a sheepish smile. "That is, if you don't mind."

"Please Mrs. Smith!" She almost refused their kind gesture until the little toon poured on the charm. She couldn't refuse a cute face like that. She took a deep breath then chuckled softly. "I'd love to spend the day with you two." She moved to the side so they could come in.

Henry walked in carrying two bags full of groceries. "Thank you. Now I get to show off my mean cooking skills!"

"Oh good lord! Please don't burn down my kitchen!" Bendy snickered as Henry tried to reassure her that he would do no such thing and that she didn't need to keep an eye on him. All she had to do was relax and let him do all the work.

Mrs. Smith just shook her head. She called Bendy over and whispered, "I'll give you a whole plate of cookies if you keep an eye on Henry for me." The little toon giggled into his hand, gave her a playful wink, then ran into the kitchen.

The day turned out great. Henry only singed a few things, but the kitchen remained intact. The food was good and the company was wonderful! The little toon earned his plate of cookies.


End file.
